Ukraine has appealed to its international partners for help restoring agricultural exports after Russia effectively blocked the Black Sea shipping corridor, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said during a joint press conference in Kyiv with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
Sybiha recalled that Russia's blockade of Black Sea shipping routes in 2022 caused the global food price index to surge by 25%, creating a major threat to food security, particularly in Africa and Asia.
"Today, we face a risk of similar magnitude. Through its campaign of terror, Russia has effectively blocked the grain corridor and the maritime route used to transport Ukrainian exports. We have already appealed to our allies and partners to help unblock our maritime exports by increasing pressure on Moscow. By attacking civilian vessels, Russia is also killing crew members, most of whom are foreign nationals," Sybiha said.
He added that Ukraine has also activated the European Union's Solidarity Lanes initiative.
"We are holding active consultations with all our neighboring countries—Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland—to determine how to expand infrastructure and create the necessary conditions to help Ukraine transport grain to third-country markets. It is important to emphasize that this concerns transit through these countries, as was the case in 2022," the foreign minister said.
